Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

For the Knoxville regulars, what is the track like when the late models are there?  How locked down does it get and how does it start the night?   As long as they require windshields and limit the tires,  the track surface will be just like it was at Eldora for the trucks.   Remember all of the conspiracy theroies that the WOO does not like tacky tracks?    

Only have been to a few of the late model shows there but usually a two groove show. Small technical tacky strip along the bottom otherwise the cushion near the wall. These trucks however are really nothing like a late model though. With the windshields idk how track prep will work. I'm sure they will test and figure something out.

I am going to out on a short limb and predict that the track will be very close to what the Springfield mile looks like after the daytime ARCA show....or what Eldora looks like the trucks run there.     

Do you remember when the Dillon kid won the first one and he couldn't even get the shovel into the track to take some dirt?   

One thing I am wondering about is the track surface the night after.    Will they be able to properly prep it overnight for the wing and non-wing show?    I know that the track crew is the best in the business,  but they are still subject to the laws of physics.  

It has been a long time but I feel like I can help with that question. Back in 1993 during the Knoxville Nationals the Friday night program rained out so they ran that entire night on Saturday afternoon. It was what you would expect from a day show so no surprises there. As soon as that show was over the track crew went to work and I would defy anybody who saw the racing surface those guys produced with limited time for the Saturdy finale to believe it had been raced on that afternoon unless they too had seen it with their own eyes. It was my first trip there and it was one of the most amazing displays of how to prepare a track that I have ever seen to this day. Those guys produced a racing surface in hours that most track crews couldn't produce in a weeks time.

I've been going to Knoxville since 2012 and the same thing has happened at least one of the years I've gone.   I don't remember exactly which one, although I'd bet someone here does.    You're very correct though, with limited time they produced a great surface for the Saturday night show anyway.  

Been to Knoxville 3, maybe 4 times for Outlaws, once for another sprint show.  Trying to remember, but three-wide with the trucks would be the maximum as I remember the track.  Not real wide. And even three wide would be tight.  But, I have not seen any stock or late model shows there so i might be wrong. Anywho, three-wide would be plenty for the Nascar trucks.

Lawlessness + liberalism = HELL -  NYC, Detroit, Chicago, 
Seattle, LA  Who the H runs those cities. 

FALSE - Eldora is about slide jobs and running the wall... if thats not your cup of tea there are 100 other huggy pole tracks that will fit your pistol.

NASCAR likes to co-op the excitement and history of Eldora and now Knoxville.  They'll treat it like they invented all of this.  NASCAR will not pay homage to the sprints or late models that can actually put on a race.  In reality they don't want the casual NASCAR fan to see sprints blister around the track, just to see what a joke the trucks are.  By the way, the Eldora stocks are about 2 seconds faster than the trucks.

If NASCAR wants to rebuild its fan base, why not try this.  Let fans nominate their hometown track for a race in the subsequent year.  Then make it a huge deal for the local communities and use it as a way to spruce up facilities and improve safety

I mentioned something like the hometown track about a year ago. I like the way the NHL did something similar for a few years and had Kraft sponsor it. They went to some small towns gave a contribution to the facility along with ticket sales. It would make more sense if it was a true co op to have actual classes that race at the track. They need to stop being afraid of losing fans to other forms of racing method as it has actually done the opposite of what they wanted. 

I think fans have actually either gone to the short tracks (both dirt & asphalt) or left all together. Having fans enjoy other forms would only help them in my opinion. 

NASCAR is deathly afraid of some of its stars being exposed.  The new class of driver has been so carefully groomed in the way of NASCAR that there is little chance NASCAR is going to put them in a position to show their weakness.  Especially when you start to look at who their daddy's or grandpa are.  They're in the save face business as much as anything else.  This is why I have much more respect for Stewart and Gordon.   They could win in anything.  Put some of these guys in another type of car and they'd be totally embarrassed 

NACAR announcers, drivers, owners, fans started throwing around dirt track jargon to describe pavement racing a few years ago when Larson came along.   They're even calling dust and tire rubber a cushion.  You know, slide job and the rest, and it didn't start with Jeff Gorden or Shrader.  Ha, they didn't even use dirt terms when handsome Harry Gant was running the high grove all by himself.
The only time an open-wheel guy was mentioned in times past, was when they showed up at Daytona to kick some ass.
 
Both NASCAR and dirt racing will benefit from this deal, and there is no real downside unless you live in a box.

I can't wait to see Bell, Larson, Stenhouse, and some of the rest at Bristol.... Shrader will find a way.
 

Half the lies they tell about me aren't true. 

No owners points in heat races would make me happy

As soon as NASCAR gets rid of the charter thing, I'd be happy.  I get why they do it but from a competition standpoint, it's silly.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/motorsports/a-history-of-the-nascar-cup-series-on-dirt/ar-BB19Agzc#:~:text=A%20history%20of%20the%20NASCAR%20Cup%20Series%20on,%20%2036%20%206%20more%20rows%20
 A good read and maybe an eye-opener for some. There's also TNT's broadcast of the winged race at Bristol.

Half the lies they tell about me aren't true. 

I'm a sprint car fan through and through. I watch a decent amount of wingless racing and a handful of pavement races to check to see how the dirt track racers are doing.

I do not see how this can be a negative for Knoxville. They've ran trucks before, flat trackers, legends (gasp), obviously late models, modifieds and more. 

There are differences in the Karl's dirt truck series compares to what the Nascar Truck series will run on dirt, but regardless, it'll be fun to see different drivers who typically don't run trucks, race with the truck regulars. 

IMO this is one of races where you have drivers from different discplines, a race getting more exposure b/c of the track, and everyone benefits, both short term and long term. 

Keep It Real

      I tried to find some video of the trucks running at Eldora to see if it looked like good racing. It looked more like a B-mod feature at the local track- 2 laps and spin. One of the popular videos was a "crash compilation" which was nothing more than repeatedly showing the same spins from different angles with over-the-top NASCAR announcing. "Here's a different angle of Billy Bob moving to the right to expertly avoid the car spinning next to him..."

     Anybody that saw them race at the track, how was the racing?

I actually took the time to look up the qualifying times versus the Eldora tracks records.  The Eldora stocks are faster by 2 second.  The Eldora stocks were the slowest car on Eldora's list.  About an 8 second difference from a winged 410.

I could never get past the jacked up heat races where the guy in last was going to transfer over the guy in 3rd because of owner points. Classic NASCAR protecting it's brand instead of actually competing

Really?  That slow? The math geek figures 21 seconds around the high groove equals about 78 mph, 21 seconds around the pole equals about 69 mph. Feel the speed!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/racingnews.co/2019/07/31/eldora-practice-results-july-31-2019-nascar-truck-series/amp/

https://www.eldoraspeedway.com/track-records/

Theres a set of practice results for the trucks.  It's actually not terribly easy to find the qualifying times for the truck race.

You won't be disappointed.  Those old guys have great stories.  The things they used to do were awesome.  DW was as big a duck in the puddle as there was.  He doesn't hold back much.  

I stand corrected. I was using the 21 second number from a post above. 19.257 seconds equals something like 84 mph up high, 75 mph on the bottom.